The Upswing

Now begins the part of our story where the good things of New Zealand start to emerge.

Sometimes we get lost in the details and forget exactly where we are.

I imagine that reading this blog over the past couple of weeks you may be imagining a country where everything is backwards and bizarre.

It's not.

Here is a list of some really great things about living here.

1) Daycare is VERY affordable and it is VERY good. If we still lived in Philly, we would be living in the red, even with two salaries, because of the cost of daycare.

2) I love my job. Everyday I walk into my office with a smile. Additionally, this job allows me more time to spend with Wordy and The Squidd.

3) Customer service at any electronics store is amazingly efficient and friendly. I almost fantasize about being invited to drink beer with staff in the storeroom.

4) There is a staff bar on campus in a Tudor mansion that serves local microbrews, wines, and just about any cocktail. This is the sign of a civilized university.

5) Tea time is genius. At 10:30AM and 3PM, work essentially stops and everyone has tea together.

6) The landscape here is phenomenal. Every time I go for a run up the hill, I am treated to see amazing mountains and the Pacific at the same time.

Cost of Living Dilemma

At one time (as little as 10 years ago) living in New Zealand was very affordable.

Something has apparently changed. Housing prices have really gone up. Taxes are going up another 5%. Goods are ridiculously expensive here...a jacket here costs around $(NZ)300 where as in the states I could buy the same jacket for around $(US)100.

The exchange rate does not account for these price discrepancies.

Perhaps it's because of shipping costs?

But tell me this...

Why can I buy a New Zealand apple (grown just a few miles away) in Philadelphia cheaper (accounting for the exchange rate) than I can in New Zealand?

In the know

It's always nice to be 'in the know.'

In Philly, if you asked either Wordy or myself where the best pizza was, for example, we could break it down by the type of pizza you were craving (thin crust, thick crust, etc.) and by proximity. For food it's really easy to be 'in the know' relatively quick because other people 'in the know' can help you out. Some of our 'in the know' places were:

Best falafel: Mama's
Best fries: Monk's
Best chocolate chip cookie: 4th Street Deli

But to be really 'in the know,' it takes more than just knowing where to eat. To really know a place, you need to dig a little deeper under shiny veneer of the city.

Where is the nearest post office with the least surly postal workers?

Which SEPTA ticketing person is the one I want to avoid because he/she always messes up my Zone 3 Off Peak Roundtrip ticket?

If I dropped an air conditioner on my foot, which hospitals should I avoid if I want to keep my foot?

Where can I park for as long as I want and not have to worry about being ticketed?

These are the types of questions that a person 'in the know' could answer without blinking an eye.

Yesterday, we drove into Christchurch to take The Squidd to the Adventure Aquarium (which we have a season pass to) and we parked in a spot (by design!) avoiding the meter charge. We then navigated through the city avoiding the touron attractions and we checked on the exchange rate of the US dollar. After the aquarium, we drove directly back home (and not listening to our spiritual leader...the GPS) avoiding all the potential log jams.

I am not sure if we are completely 'in the know' yet (I had a sharp reminder not knowing that there was some important rugby game at 7PM in which the stores were jacked with people buying crisps and beer at 6PM when all I wanted to buy was a can of beans), but yesterday was 'good as gold.'

Check, check, and check

Wordy applying for a job. Check.

Wordy having a phone interview for said job. Check

Wordy acing the phone interview and getting a person to person interview for said job. Check.

Go Wordy!

Road Kill Mystery

On the street in front of our condo, some little critter met its maker.

Being the scientist that I am, I took advantage of the opportunity to investigate the wildlife of New Zealand.

Small animal. Check.

Potentially a rodent of some type. Check.

Furry...not furry.

Spiny, spiky. Err...check.

Cute little face. Check...

Oh no! It's a hedgehog! A cute little hedgehog!

Wait a second. What in Akaroa is a hedgehog doing in New Zealand?!

I can understand sheep, cattle, and horse being imported into New Zealand. These animals provide some sort of benefit: wool, beef/milk, and transportation. But importing hedgehogs? Turns out on further investigations (involving asking two Kiwis at a dinner party) that English gardeners had/have an affinity for hedgehogs. New Zealand wouldn't feel like their home in the British countryside without their beloved spiky slug-eating friends.

Upon even further investigation, Kiwi children are terrified of hedgehogs, especially when camping in the backyard. There are so many hedgehogs nowadays (with no predators) that at night they 'swarm' backyards looking for food. So imagine this: You are a 6 year old sleeping outside (by yourself) for the first time and all night little hedgehogs are rubbing against your tent...trying to get inside...looking for blood...human blood...your blood.

No wonder once Kiwis get their driver's license that they take every chance to run over their nightmares...which are hedgehogs.